Explain Poker Like I’m Five: Donk Bet

Not everyone jumped on the poker bandwagon during the Moneymaker boom. When you’ve been playing the game for years, it’s easy to forget that poker speak may as well be a different language. A lot of players are just picking up a deck of cards for the first time and may be wondering what the hell the rest of us are talking about.

Maybe you are new to poker as well and want to start analyzing hands for yourself, but sometimes the lingo or a foreign concept gets in the way. To combat this barrier to entry,_ Card Player_ brings you this series, Explain Poker Like I’m Five.

Every issue, we’ll take on a new term or idea, perhaps one you might come across elsewhere in this very magazine, and we’ll break it down to its simplest components.

The Concept: Donk Bet

What Is It?

A first bet, on the flop, turn, or river, made from out of position, despite not having the betting initiative on the previous street or betting round.

Okay, Now Explain It Like I’m Five

If another player is the aggressor and you just passively call, coming along for the next street, then you suddenly lead out for a bet, that bet is known as a donk bet.

Give Me An Example (Or Two)

If someone at the table comments on your donk bet, there’s a good chance they aren’t trying to insult you. Even though being labeled as a donk means someone doesn’t respect your playing abilities, making a donk bet can actually be a very good play under the right circumstances.

Let’s say you are watching a $2-$5 cash game and Player A in the cutoff raises to $15 preflop. Player B calls with K-Q offsuit from the big blind and the flop comes down A-Q-2. Maybe Player B has the best hand, maybe he doesn’t. The traditional play here would be for Player B to check and see what his opponent decides to do, because Player A was the aggressor preflop. Instead, he can decide to make a donk bet of $20 by leading into Player A, taking the initiative and putting the pressure on his opponent.

Donk bets can be very frustrating to deal with for some players because they are usually unexpected and difficult to interpret. In the above example, Player A has already shown strength by raising preflop, yet Player B has seemingly ignored this sign and bet anyway. If Player B had a great hand, wouldn’t he let Player A bet it for him? Is he betting to induce a raise? Is he bluffing with nothing and hoping to get an immediate fold? These are the questions a player has to ask when facing a donk bet.

Donk bets can also be used to slow down opponents, similar to a blocker bet. Let’s say Player A has Q J on a 10 8 2 flop with $40 in the pot. He bets $25 and Player B raises to $60. Player A calls and the turn is the K. If Player A checks, he’ll certainly be facing a turn bet of $100 or more. But if Player A donk bets, he can name his own cheaper price and disguise his hand should the draw come in on the river. Player B might be so confused that his flop raise was ignored and allow for a discounted river card or he may even fold.

Ideally, you want to utilize a donk bet against loose aggressive players who like to rely on continuation bets to apply pressure, but they can be used against any playing style effectively if the circumstances are right. The key is to stay balanced with your hand ranges. You want to donk bet not only with your medium-strength hands, but also your draws, monsters and sometimes complete air. ♠